Nine essential Allman Brothers Band albums, spanning 1969 to 1979, have been remastered from the original analog tapes for reissue on audiophile quality 180 gram vinyl in July 2016 by Mercury/UMe. They include: an expanded 2LP edition of The Allman Brothers Band; Idlewild South; At Fillmore East; Eat a Peach; Brothers and Sisters; Win, Lose or Draw; Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas; Enlightened Rogues; and the 3LP debut of Live At Ludlow Garage 1970. The albums have been remastered by Kevin Reeves to 192kHz/24-bit audio and cut on copper plates using Abbey Road Mastering's Direct Metal Mastering ( DMM ) lathe. All nine LP packages feature faithfully replicated original album artwork.

Having already cut its collective teeth via live shows throughout the South, the Allman Brothers Band was properly vetted for its initial major-label foray. In particular, Gregg and Duane Allman had done stints in several other collectives that recorded a handful of long-forgotten records. Duane, too, established himself as a go-to whiz-kid slide and lead guitarist, becoming a session instrumentalist for Muscle Shoals' FAME Studios and playing with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, and others. He and organist/vocalist Gregg's deft touch and innate knack for soulful tonalities help define his namesake group's eponymous 1969 debut, notched with raw-boned R&B and purifying gospel motifs that seeped into the duo's consciousness while growing up in Jacksonville. 

Complemented by like-minded lead guitarist Dickey Betts and a trio of similarly minded masters, the siblings quickly changed history on this 1969 set famous for stunningly resonant blues, spirit-moving soul, and polyrhythmic rock. Entering with a memorable one-two punch in which fluid jazz lines mutate into an anguished 12-bar blues exchange between Gregg and Duane, continuing with an edgy and worthy take of Muddy Waters' "Trouble No More," and closing with the landscape-shifting workout "Whipping Post," a preview of things to come, The Allman Brothers Band contains no flaws. Then there's the aching of "Dreams," a melodic 12/8-time piece showcasing slide-guitar voodoo and psychedelic aftertastes.

The Allman Brothers Band's self-titled debut album is expanded here to two 180 gram LPs, featuring the original 1969 stereo mix and the 1973 Beginnings stereo mix.